The Body Guard
by Theboredone
Summary: Someone is after Amelia. Who is suitable to protect her from this new threat?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Slayers, and I don't believe that there is a point to doing these disclaimers. I seriously doubt that anyone searches through these to see who they can sue, but what the heck. I guess it's just kind of tradition. Anyway, here we go with another Theboredone tale of pure crap. Hope you enjoy.  
  
"YAAAAAWWWWWWNNN...."  
  
The crown princess of Seyruun stretched her arms back and shook her wrist out. She'd been signing papers for the past two and a half hours and a break was all that she needed. Her father, Prince Phileonel was away negotiating with the rulers of new kingdoms that had been discovered in the new lands. He had written letters, and all seemed well. Seyruun had gained many allies. Amelia can remember the day before her father left...  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Daddy! Why don't you let me go negotiate with the other kingdoms? I've done a lot more dangerous travelling than you!" whined Amelia.  
  
"Yes, I know, daughter. And I think it's about time you stayed home where it's safe. Besides, negotiating with strange new countries can become quite complicated. Only a truly experienced ruler of justice can handle a task like this! You still have much to learn before you try this."  
  
"Daddy, I've helped save the world from Dark Lords...I think I can handle this."  
  
"Oh really? I actually think that you want to go out into the new world for a much different reason," Prince Phil's smile grew, as did Amelia's blush.  
  
"Wh..what do you mean, daddy? You're just being silly..." she stared at the ground and made a circle with her foot. Prince Phil laughed loudly.  
  
"HAHA! Very well, if you say so, Amelia. But my decision is still the same. Just stay here and take care of anything that may come up. Trust me, I'm giving you the better deal."  
  
"That's what you think..." Amelia thought to herself. "Ok, daddy. Have a safe trip."  
  
*Back to reality*  
  
It was true. Amelia wanted to get out of the palace and travel again, but there was another reason she wanted to leave. The chimera, Zelgadis. He was still out there, somewhere in the new world looking for his cure. She knew it was silly, but there could have been a chance that they would have run into each other out there. There's always a chance. But that didn't really matter now. She decided to finish her paperwork instead of taking a break. She didn't have much left, so there was little sense in stopping.  
  
However, she was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind from an open window. It blew a few of her papers off her desk and went under her dress, chilling her a bit.  
  
"I don't remember leaving that open. Oh well." She walked over and closed the window, securing the lock. She took in the view for a moment. This had to be some kind of crime. The day was much to beautiful for anyone to be in doors signing papers. Luckily, she only had a little more work to do. "Maybe I'll go out for a stroll when I'm done."  
  
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A little more than a half-hour had passed, and Amelia had finished her work and changed into her white travelling clothes. She informed her servants that she would be out for a while, and with that she ran out of the front gates. She could feel the cool air blowing around her, and it gave her a good idea. "Ray Wing!" She shot off into the air. She looked down, and could see the whole kingdom. To think, up here was where she and the others had battled Kanzel. The area of the kingdom that had been destroyed was now repaired. This brought back memories. It had been about a year since the battle with Darkstar. Amelia hadn't heard from any of her friends the whole time. It bothered her, but her work took her mind off of it. Perhaps a little more than she'd like at times. At the moment, she had the wind to occupy her mind. Feeling cold and getting a little tired from flying, she decided to land.  
  
She dropped down into an area outside of town. This was one of her favorite spots to come to. It was only a short distance into the forest. The servants would tell her father if they knew she was here, and he would probably be upset that she left the town. She made her way through the woods until she found her spot. There was nothing extremely special about it, it was just an area where the trees were a little more spread out and a tiny stream flowed through the middle. The sound of the water relaxed her. There was one tree that she always loved to sit by. It stood alone on one side of the stream. All the other trees seemed separated from it. The grass was comfortable and the ground began moving up into a small hill behind the tree. She remembered that as a child, she always stayed by this tree because she thought it must be lonely. She giggled at this thought, and decided to have a seat in order to keep her "old friend" company. There was a small hole near the bottom of the tree. She looked in it to make sure it still held a trinket of hers. Indeed, she had kept her pink bracelet here. The other one was with Zelgadis. She held it up and turned it over in her hand. She let out a sigh. She brought it here because she refused to wear it without the other one, and she didn't want to keep it in her room. It just reminded her of painful memories. How ironic that she would keep it in a place that she loved to go to, and she would always seem to take it out every time she went there. Perhaps she just needed to see it every once in a while, just so she wouldn't forget him. No, she could not forget him that easily. She hadn't thought about it much, though. She knew that she had a crush on him for a while. She laughed a little when she remembered how angry she was when Zelgadis and Lina got paired at the Temple of Marriage. She didn't want to find out if it was more than a crush. Yet she did want to find out.   
  
"Oh well, there's no point in thinking about that now," she thought as she placed the bracelet back into the hole. She stretched her arms and legs out and leaned back against the tree. She closed her eyes and let herself relax. This was nice, but she was still bored. She missed travelling. It was always fun to see Lina and Gourry fighting over the last piece of chicken, or fighting off bandit groups (in the name of justice, of course), or seeing Filia and Xelloss arguing. She had once challenged the guard captain to a sparring match, but he refused. Apparrently it wouldn't be proper for the princess to be seen fighting, even though people have seen it before and they've even seen her father fighting. She almost punched his lights out for refusing, but she decided against it. She went out a few times with the police in order to round up criminals, and that was fun, but not the same. Maybe when her father returned, she could go meet some new friends. She wouldn't be stuck at the castle quite as much after he returned, so she could go into town and meet some people. It seemed like an idea. Yes, she would do that when he returned. She felt herself begin to nod off. She caught herself and stood up.  
  
"I should probably head back. It'll be dark soon anyway." She let out a yawn and took to the air. As she made her way back to the castle, the sun was setting in the distance. What a beautiful color.  
  
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Amelia had finished changing into her pajamas and was about to turn in. She went to close the curtains, but not before admiring the crescent moon in the sky. It wasn't very bright tonight, but it was still beautiful. She closed the curtains and blew out the lamps in her room. She crawled into bed and wrapped herself in the warm covers. She began to wonder how long it would be until her father returned. Her thoughts drifted off as she soon fell asleep.  
  
However, her sleep would not be as sound as she expected. She was not alone in her room. Amelia had been asleep for a few hours, and the middle of the night had come. A strange figure had found its way into her room around this time. He approached the sleeping princess. A smile creeped across his face as he realized that his goal would be easy to achieve. He drew a dagger from his belt and prepared to slash her throat. But as soon as he drew the dagger, Amelia sat up straight and thrust a finger out at him.  
  
"Stop right there, villain!" she shouted. As luck would have it, her finger landed right in the figure's eye.  
  
"Aaaa! Little bitch!"  
  
This was enough to wake Amelia. She screamed at the sight of the man. He quickly clasped his hand over her mouth, but she kicked him hard in the gut. This was enough to stun him. Amelia leapt from her bed and held her hands out.  
  
"Elmekia Lance!!"  
  
The man looked at her direction, and just before the spell struck him, he vanished as if he were never there. The spell struck a wall, luckily astral spells concentrate more on destroying astral bodies, rather than inanimate objects. She backed into a corner, holding her arms out to cast another spell if he reappeared. Suddenly, her door burst open.  
  
"Princess Amelia! Are you alright?" The guards had arrived.  
  
Amelia looked upon them with relief. She exhaled and dropped to her knees, breathing heavily from the scare. One of the guards approached her.  
  
"Princess! What happened here?"  
  
"Someone was in my room...he tried to kill me..."  
  
"An assassin?! Are you alright? What did he look like?"  
  
"I...I'm fine. I couldn't see him. It was too dark, but I'm pretty sure that it was a man."  
  
"We'll find him!" The guard turned and started shouting orders. Guards placed themselves all around Amelia's room while others went to search the entire castle grounds. After refusing to have a guard stay in her room, Amelia was alone again. She curled up on her bed and hugged her pillow as she began to cry. If her father had been here, she would've hugged him and cried on his shoulder when he came and found her. She hated that she could not break down like that in front of anyone while she was in charge of the kingdom. She was frightened. She wanted her father back, she wanted her friends back. She has fought several monsters and dark lords, why should be so frightened by one man. She was still human. Anyone who got lucky could kill her. Whether she exhausted herself with worry, or cried herself to sleep, she somehow found a way to rest that night.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Yeah, that line means that this part is over. So this is just author commentary. So...what to comment about. That's the first part. Like it? Don't like it? Let me know either way. If a lot of people don't like it, then it'll save me from wasting my time. Hope you like it, though. Ending author commentary..............................ok. 


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen, we're moving into Chapter 2. Entitled: Chapter 2. Creative, eh? I still don't own Slayers. Yup, I didn't make the characters(well...not all of them). I hope you all enjoy my latest installment. If you want something else to read while you're waiting for the third chapter, you can check out my other story, "A Tale Untold." It's complete, so knock yourself out. Anyway, let's get this party started.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The morning was quite serene. The princess of Seyruun slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed calm, even herself. Perhaps she had fainted last night. She slowly climbed out of her bed. She kept her arms around herself. She felt the paranoia returning, and she had to hold onto something even if it was herself. She started to open the curtains to her window, but stopped. The day didn't seem much more safe than the night. What if that man was waiting behind the window. She started to back away from the window, occaisionally looking behind and around her. Then she stopped. This was silly. If she couldn't open her own curtains then how could she make it through the day? She slowly approached the curtains. She fit her fingers in between them and grabbed one of the two sheets. Before she pulled it to the side, she readied a fireball in her other hand. She quickly yanked the curtain to the side and leapt back. It was a nice sunny view of Seyruun, and nothing more. At this, she sighed and dismissed the fireball. Amelia went and opened the other half of the curtain, but there was a loud knock at her door.  
  
"EEEEK!!!" Amelia shrieked and resummoned the fireball and sent it flying at the door. The explosion completely demolished the door and sent three of Seyruun's guards into a wall. Their charred bodies dropped to the ground and let out a low moan.  
  
"Oops! Sorry about that!" One of the guards lifted his head.  
  
"Princess! We heard something in there! Are you alright?"  
  
"Oh, yes I'm fine. I was just opening the curtains." She beamed an innocent smile.  
  
"Princess, you are an inspiration to your people with your bravery!"  
  
"Oh, thank you." said Amelia while trying her best to get her knees to stop knocking. The guards picked themselves up (or at least, what was left of them) and trudged off. Amelia dropped to her knees and put her hand on her chest while she caught her breath. After gathering her composure, she decided that she should at least change.  
  
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AS soon as Amelia changed and stepped out of her door, she had a flock of guards around her. It eventually got to where she had to threaten to fireball all of them if they didn't give her just a little space. They didn't even let her eat her breakfast until someone had tasted every portion of it to make sure it wasn't poisoned. The Seyruun Council was a mess. The fact that they had almost lost their princess. The dining room was filled with various comments...  
  
"What should we do?"  
  
"Who would follow Prince Philonel's line?"  
  
"Was the assassin captured?"  
  
"Thank goodness the Princess is a talented sorceress."  
  
Amelia gently rubbed her temples as she tried to finish her breakfast. She thought that it may have been a less cruel fate if the assassin had gotten her. A few of the council members approached her.  
  
"Princess Amelia?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We've decided that we cannot allow you to leave the castle until we are certain that the perpetrator has been apprehended."  
  
"That could take weeks! What if you never find him?!"  
  
"I'm sorry, princess, but we would feel much safer if you stayed inside. At least until your father returns."  
  
"Daddy will take forever searching for new kingdoms..." Amelia whined.  
  
"Actually, princess, we've already sent a messenger to your father. He left just a few minutes ago."  
  
Suddenly, they felt a low rumbling in the distance. It was steadily growing. Amelia's cup of milk began shaking. The shaking grew until it seemed that the entire castle was shaking, and cups began to crash to the floor. Everyone began to panic, thinking that the world was coming to an end. Amelia fell out of her chair and grabbed the table for support. She finally squeaked out.  
  
"What's going on here?!" They soon heard an answer. A huge voice bellowed in the distance.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Before anyone could react, Prince Phileonel had burst through the main gates, barged through the castle, and engulfed Amelia into an enormous bear hug. Everyone could only stare.  
  
"Oh, Amelia! I was so fightened! As soon as I found out that someone tried to kill you, I hurried back here as fast as I could! Say something, Amelia! Tell me you're alright!" Apparently Phil didn't notice Amelia tapping him on the shoulder in order to tell him to let her breathe. "Oh, sorry about that." He let her loose.  
  
"Phew! Daddy! How'd you get here so fast? And how did you know that someone tried to kill me? We just sent a messanger."  
  
Phil seemed puzzled. "Messenger?"  
  
*Scene change*  
  
Just outside of the kingdom of Seyruun, a messanger lay on the ground as if trampled by a royal giant.  
  
"I...hate my job..."  
  
*Back to the castle*  
  
Phil stood straight up and threw his finger in the air.  
  
"Of course I knew that you were in danger, Amelia! Why, any champion of justice would know when his loved one was in danger, and nothing could keep him from reaching his destination! Haha!"  
  
The crowded room was filled with sweatdrops and various admiration of Prince Phil's dedication to his daughter. The prince smiled widely and beamed at his daughter.  
  
"Everything is alright, isn't it Amelia?"  
  
"Well...I..." Amelia sobbed a little, and her eyes began to collect tears. Phil took notice of this and quickly turned to address everyone else in the room.  
  
"Everyone go about your business! Leave us alone for a moment!" The room emptied in seconds. Satisfied, Phil turned to his daughter. "It's ok now, Amelia." Amelia burst into tears and threw herself into her father. She nuzzled against his chest and cried for a few minutes.  
  
"Oh, daddy! It was so scary! I know I've come close to dying before, but it scared me because I didn't know where he was! This is the first time I haven't felt safe at home!" Prince Phil began to lightly pat her as she spoke.  
  
"It's ok, Amelia. I'll protect you." Amelia pulled away from her father and wiped her face. She looked down.  
  
"I feel so silly, like I'm being a baby. I've faced dark lords before and not cried. I'm sorry, daddy."  
  
"Amelia! You shouldn't be ashamed of crying! Besides, it's a much different situation when someone invades your home. I think anyone would've cried if they were in your place." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Phil always had a way to make her feel better.  
  
"Thanks, Daddy."   
  
Phil reared back and let out a loud laugh. The halls practically rattled apart. Finally, Phil quieted down and addressed Amelia again.  
  
"Now then, we have to decide what we're going to do about this. Can you tell me anything about this assassin that would help us find him?"  
  
"I don't know...it was really dark. He was kind of well built. That's about as much as I can tell you."  
  
Phil held his chin and looked down thoughtfully. "Hmmm...well, until we know that you are safe, guards will accompany you everywhere."  
  
"Umm...I about that...do they really have to follow me everywhere?"  
  
Phil jumped in shock. "Of course they do, Amelia! You're my precious daughter and I'm going to see to it that you're safe no matter what!"  
  
Amelia's face filled with dissappointment. "But it's just a bit annoying when I can't even breathe until everyone is sure that the air isn't toxic."  
  
"I'm sorry Amelia, but I can't risk your life like that."  
  
Amelia looked to the floor. She knew she couldn't win this argument. The kingdom would be in panic if its princess died. She would have to get used to having a pack of man-sized mosquitoes surrounding her all the time. Unless she thought of something else. Which, of course, she did.  
  
"Hey, Daddy?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do I really need a lot of guards around all the time?"  
  
"Didn't I already answer that?"  
  
"No, I mean, couldn't we just have one guard stay with me?"  
  
"Like a bodyguard?"  
  
"Yeah! Someone whose job is only to watch me. I don't think it would bother me as much if only one person had to follow me around."  
  
Phil returned his hand to his chin and began contemplating this proposal. It seemed like he kept going back and forth with his thoughts, seeing both sides of the argument but not really making any progress. Finally, after some real thought, he spoke up.  
  
"I'm not sure about that, Amelia. I don't know if I'd feel safe if only one guard was watching you. The average castle guard isn't really that skilled, just well equipped."  
  
"Well then....we could hire someone! We could send out messages through the kingdom and the neighboring towns and we could probably find someone really strong!"  
  
Once again, Phil fell into his "deep" thought. It was obvious that he didn't like this idea, but he was willing to consider it thoroughly. He let out a sigh and reached a decision.  
  
"Alright, Amelia. I'm not very comfortable with a stranger protecting you, but I'll allow it on one condition." He looked at Amelia sternly.  
  
"What condition?"  
  
"All of the mercenaries have to be interviewed by the entire council. They will decide who is the best choice. Ok?"  
  
"Ok!" She jumped up and threw her arms around her father's neck. "Thank you, Daddy!"  
  
"You're welcome, but you have to promise to stay with your guard. No matter who it may be."  
  
"I promise."  
  
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The word of Seyruun castle hiring a royal bodyguard spread like wildfire. The castle was filled with a line of mercenaries only one day after Prince Phileonel sent out the message. The crowd was filled with a wide variety of applicants, ranging from rugged mercenaries, to valiant knights, to bar-room brawlers, to mystical sorcerors, to desparate bums willing to put their lives on the line to make a buck. There were even a few small children that kept trying to get in line, claiming that they could protect the princess. The castle guards were having a hard enough time keeping them quiet and out of the way, but Amelia thought that it was hilarious. One of the boys noticed her laughing and approached her.  
  
"Aren't you the princess, miss?"  
  
"Yes, I am. What's your name?"  
  
"Orres, miss princess."  
  
"You can call me Amelia."  
  
He beamed a smile at her. "Ok, Amelia! Can I be your bodyguard?"  
  
"I don't know. Have you interviewed with the council?"  
  
He glared at the guards and stomped his foot. "Those jerks won't let me get in line! I'm the best bodyguard out of anyone! I'm the toughest kid on my street!"  
  
Amelia put her hands on her hips and humored him. "They won't let you interview? That's no fair."  
  
"I know! Can you tell them to let me in?"  
  
"Hmmm, how about this, I'll let you be my bodyguard right now."  
  
Orres's eyes lit up. "Really?!"  
  
Amelia smiled and chuckled a little. "Sure, but you have to keep it a secret or the guards might get angry."  
  
"How do I keep it a secret."  
  
"Simple, when I get in trouble, I'll call for you and you can come save me. Ok?"  
  
"Ok miss princ- I mean, Amelia!" Orres darted off towards his friends so he could brag. Amelia laughed at his ability to keep a secret. At least he was happy. Orres ran back home to prepare for his new "job" and his friends followed after him to either marvel in admiration or challenge him. One of the guards stood bewildered at the sight as he watched the children run from the castle. He looked over towards Amelia, wondering what on earth she did. Amelia just smirked and shrugged her shoulders. She turned her attention back to the line of applicants. She began to think that perhaps it would have been better to let one of the children protect her. There were more men than women, much more. Several of the men were either a little too scary or disgusting for Amelia to feel comfortable. Apparently many of the mercenaries did not realize that it is somewhat improper to enter a castle while drunk. A chorus of belches erupted from various parts of the line. A few mercenaries were dragged out of line and thrown out of the castle. Amelia even requested that a few be disqualified, particularly the ones that kept winking or blowing kisses at her. With more people coming at a steady rate, the interviewing went on all day. Amelia had had enough, so she decided to retire to her room for the rest of the day, but not without various unwanted comments or compliments from the line as she left.  
  
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The council interviewed for one more full day. Most of the applicants were tossed out immediately after their interview, so it only took about one hour for the council to review and make a decision. Amelia couldn't wait because she was tired of swimming in guards everywhere she went. There had been no sign of the assassin again, but paranoia was still covering the kingdom, so the presentation of Amelia's bodyguard was quite an event. Because of the large curiousity among the people, Prince Phileonel decided to have the council present the bodyguard outside of the castle, but he requested that while Amelia was outside, she should have guards around her even while her bodyguard was present. A large crowd gathered near the castle. The council stood in front of the main entrance while Phil and Amelia stood off to the side, although Amelia was hardly visible because she was surrounded by guards. The crowd shouted for the council to get on with it, but they refused to proceed. A few of them kept looking back inside the castle. Finally, one crowd member shouted something that struck a bit of anxiety in the council.  
  
"Is this body guard even here!?"  
  
Every council members eyes went wide. One of them jumped forward to address the crowd.  
  
"Er..um..fear not! We assure you that we have a selection and he is in good condition! He just felt that he should make a proper entrance at his presentation!"  
  
The crowd didn't seem to buy into this excuse, but they quieted down a bit. Finally, one of the council members whirled around and started whispering to the others. After a few words, they spread out and turned towards the crowd. One of them spoke.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are sorry that you had to wait, but wait no longer! We are ready to present the personal bodyguard of Amelia Wil Telsa Seyruun, your princess!"  
  
Half the crowd let out cheers while the other half yelled for the council to hurry up. The speaker continued.  
  
"After two days of interviewing and time for review of the applicants, we have finally made a selection! Although it took a long time to interview, it was not hard to make this decision. This man is a hero among heroes! He is matchless with a sword and is more than willing to give his life for our princess! We are completely confident in this man and we can assure you that you may put any fears that you have to rest! He is sure to end the assassin threat!"  
  
"WHO IS IT!?" Practically the entire crowd shouted.  
  
"Er..ahem! Yes, well...I will delay him no longer! It is my pleasure to present, Sir Lance Estar!"  
  
The council parted and a young man dressed in regal attire stepped forward. His blonde hair was slicked back and his eyes sparkled. His expensive suit was dark red silk. His pantaloons were silk as well. He wore fine leather boots and a belt with a golden buckle. A cape ran from his shoulders to his ankles. He stepped forward and smiled at the crowd, trying to use his charm. The crowd cheered as he emerged. Some people yelled less appropriate cheers out of jealousy, but most people were excited to finally see the royal bodyguard. He took a bow, holding his cape with elegance. Then, he raised his hands to silence the crowd. His hands were covered by gloves that were, more than likely, silk. After every last person had quieted, he spoke.  
  
"I appreciate your welcome. You are all too kind." At this, the crowd erupted again, and Lance raised his hands for silence again. "I have travelled many lands and faced many perils. I am certain that I can handle any threat that may befall your fair princess." He looked towards Amelia and winked. The crowd began to cheer again, but rejected mercenaries shouted angry remarks. The mercenaries began to leave while others were dragged off by their friends. Lance whirled in the direction of Phil and Amelia and walked towards Phil. Lance bowed. "I guarrantee the safety of your daughter. I will wager my life on it."  
  
A look of doubt came over Phil before he responded. "Wager your life? Isn't that your job in the first place?"  
  
Lance straightened up quickly. "Oh! Of course! I just...I just feel so confident that I can protect her that I don't think either of us are in danger!" Eager to get out of this situation, he approached Amelia. He took her hand and kissed it gently. The gloves were silk after all. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my lady."  
  
This didn't exactly make Amelia feel comfortable. "It...is a pleasure to meet you as well." She slowly withdrew her hand as she spoke. Lance stood up straight and threw back his cape.  
  
"I vow to protect you against any threat! With my own sword I will find the assassin and put an end to him!" he announced while drawing his sword and holding it up. The crowd let out another cheer, but Amelia seemed dissappointed. She looked at the sword, it's golden hilt and polished blade. There wasn't a scratch or nick about it. Had he ever used that sword? Amelia had seen enough of this. She pushed her way through the guards and walked up to the council.  
  
"Ummm, can you explain why you chose him?"  
  
The council was stirred a bit by this. They stared at each other wondering why Amelia would ask this. One of them spoke.  
  
"Why, just look at him, princess. He's a very elegant and dashing hero! The other mercenaries were either unacceptably disgusting or suspicious. What if the assassin had disguised himself as a mercenary in order to get to you? We are certain that this man is a good example and a trustworthy figure."  
  
Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. "Maybe, but can he protect me?"  
  
"Of course! Sir Lance has assured us of his skills as a swordsman!"  
  
"How? Did you see him slay a huge monster or something?"  
  
"Heavens no! He simply told us of his great adventures. He really is an amazing young man!"  
  
Amelia slapped her own face. "He told you?"  
  
"Yes. As we said before, we trust this man so he surely wouldn't lie to us."  
  
"Right...right..." Frustrated Amelia left the council alone so she wouldn't have to continue this conversation a moment longer. Lance spent as much time as possible showing off to the crowd. After a little bit, people began to become uninterrested. Seeing that everyone had heard enough from lance, Phil decided to step forward and take control.  
  
"Well then, my people. I'm glad that you have shown so much interest in my daughter's guard, but now we have matters we must attend to. Good day to you all." At that, the crowd dispersed. Everyone went about their business. The council, guards, Phil, Amelia, and Lance all returned inside the castle. Phil dismissed the guards and sent them back to their normal duties. He then went to tend to his own duties. The council did the same. Amelia wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. While she had breathing room, she was now left alone with Lance. He looked into her eyes and smiled coyly.  
  
"Well then, Princess, where to now?"  
  
"Ummm, maybe we should just wait in one of the living rooms."  
  
"very well."  
  
They entered the room. There were three sofas arranged in a square formation near the center of the room. On the open side of the square, there was a cushioned chair. In the middle of the formation there was a small round coffee table. On the wall opposite of the lone chair, there was a large window that curved out of the wall. Trying to act fast without running, Amelia made her way to the chair. Lance moved to the sofa across from Amelia. He flipped his cape back and took a seat. Amelia sighed in her head and prepared for the worst as she spoke.  
  
"So...since we're going to have to spend a lot of time together, I think we should try to get to know each other," she said with a bit of regret.  
  
"An excellent idea! Ah, where to start? There are so many stories I could tell you," Amelia was sure that they were all stories. As Amelia feared, Lance launched into a complete eruption of borish yapping. He talked about how he was the son of a powerful noble that lives south of Seyruun, and the various monsters, ogres, and trolls he had slain. Seeing that he wasn't even looking in her direction, Amelia thought that this was the perfect time for her to have some form of daydream. Here she was, stuck with the most arrogant applicant she could get, and he'd probably be too scared of getting dirty if he ever got in a fight. Maybe the guards would have been better. Well, hopefully the assassin would fall for Lance's fake stories like the council did and she'd be safe. There had to be some way for her to get out of this situation. After all, in a way she got herself into it. She even thought about searching for the assassin herself so she wouldn't need a guard anymore. Maybe she could just jump out in the open and let herself get killed. That seemed a bit more appealing than listening to Lance for however long he planned on talking. Maybe he'd shut up when he couldn't think of anymore lies to tell. As Amelia's thoughts trailed off even further, she didn't realize when Lance tried to get her attention.  
  
"Miss Amelia? Are you listening?" She stared off into space, completely unaware of his question. He stood up. "Miss Amelia?" Suddenly, the window burst open, and Lance let out a grunt of pain. The crash shocked Amelia back to reality and she felt something splash against her face. She wiped her cheek and her hand was covered in blood. She felt her heart race, and she slowly looked up at Lance. He was still standing, with a dagger protruding from his chest. His body fell forward, landing on the table. Amelia screamed and dashed for the door. She ran through the halls of the castle, and it wasn't long before she found her father again. He panicked at the sight of her blood-stained face.  
  
"Amelia! What on earth happened?!"  
  
She grabbed her father and held him tightly. She buried her head into his chest and was breathing heavily. "Daddy! It was him! The assassin! He killed Lance! He's coming for me Daddy! I'm scared! It's like he's invisible!"  
  
Phil dropped to his knees and held his daughter. "It's ok, Amelia. It's ok. Daddy's here." He barked at some guards to go search the area and investigate Lance's body for any kind of clue. Amelia spent much time crying into her father's chest. She didn't want to leave that spot. It took forever to get her into her room, much less for her to fall asleep. Her room was guarded as best as possible. Whether she ever slept that night, shall remain a mystery.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning came, and Amelia could hardly find the will to get out of bed. It scared her enough that someone was out to get her, but it also tormented her that someone had died in her place (even if it was by accident) and she had thought bad things about him before. She didn't stay in one place for long. She would move through the castle quickly, always looking around. She was afraid of windows now, so she avoided them. She only stayed still when she met her father for breakfast.  
  
"Are you alright, Amelia?"  
  
"I...I don't know...I'm still scared."  
  
"I know. It's ok to be scared, Amelia, even for a champion of justice. But I'm afraid we're going to have to resort back to having many guards follow you around."  
  
"Ok..." Amelia didn't feel like arguing. She only wanted to be safe. She hated the fact that she was capable of defending herself but couldn't. Her food was left on the table only to grow cold. She could only stare at it. She planned on staying near her father for as long as possible. She felt more secure around him. Her thoughts were interrupted by some distant voices. She turned her head towards the door that led out of the dining room. It was cracked enough for her to hear someone talking.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I'm not sure, Amelia."  
  
She stood up and walked towards the door. In the main room of the castle, she could tell that the voices were coming from the castle entrance. She couldn't make out what they were saying, so she made her way towards the entrance, accompanied by plenty of guards, of course. As she got closer, she heard two guards speaking to each other.  
  
"Do you think he could be trouble?"  
  
"I don't know. He looks creepy enough, but he's out in the open. So he either doesn't want to hurt anyone, or he's dangerous enough to afford coming out in the open. Either way, here he comes now."  
  
This worried Amelia. Could the assassin be coming to the castle right now? She decided to stay out of sight, but within eavesdropping distance. Her guards served as a nice camoflauge of sorts. She heard one of the guards speak up again.  
  
"State your business, sir."  
  
Then she heard a soft and cool voice. "I was wondering if the bodyguard position was still open."  
  
That voice! It was so familiar! The other guard spoke up.  
  
"I'm sorry, but the princess's bodyguard failed his job so the guards will be protecting her now."  
  
"Wait!" shouted Amelia. She dashed out of the entrance of the castle. The two guards that spoke earlier looked back to see what the problem was, and in front of them stood a mysterious man dressed in all white, with a white cape, hood, and mask.  
  
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Ok, that's it for Chapter 2. Sorry it took me a little while to update, but I volunteered to be a counselor at my church's children's camp, so I had to go to that and I've been kinda dead since I got back. Hopefully I'll get the other chapters out faster. Sorry if this chapter sucked, but like I said, I'm dead. Anyway, let me know what you think, stay in school, don't do drugs, yadda yadda. The time of cheetos is soon (it would be sooner if I had any cheetos at my house, but oh well). Later. 


	3. Chapter 3

Ok. We've arrived at chapter 3. Huzzah! Sorry that it's once again taken me a bit to update, but I've had to work Vacation Bible School for kids at my church and work backstage for a musical at the same time, so I've pretty much been swamped for a while. Need sleep. But fear not! I am promising all of you, those who have read my story and those who have not, that I WILL FINISH THIS FANFIC!!!! Trust me, I would never post a story without finishing it. I hate it when people start stories and never finish them. Well, before I start, allow me to address a few of my reviewers.  
  
Alea Seikou - I would like to thank you for not only telling me that you like my story, but you also tell me why you like it. Your reviews are helpful, but don't be afraid to tell me what you don't like about it. You won't hurt my feelings.  
  
Airi-chan - Two things for you. 1: Trust me, there is some point to Lance's death. It's nothing huge, but it'll be explained later. 2: YOU ROCK!!!! I'm not from Poland, but my family is Polish decent. I wish my relatives had taught me how to speak Polish. Oh well. I just wanted to say that you are cool because you're from Poland.  
  
All my other reviewers, I appreciate you taking the time to encourage me. I'll try to keep you happy. But enough delays! On with the show!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Amelia could hardly believe what she was seeing. Surely as she lived and breathed, Zelgadis Greywers was standing in front of her. Reguardless of the fact that his skin was obviously blue, she still had trouble realizing that it was him. She was having so much trouble that she didn't even notice one of the guards waving his hand in front of her face.  
  
"Princess!"  
  
Amelia jumped back to reality. "Yes?"  
  
"Do you know this man?"  
  
"I...I think so." She walked closer to him. He remained silent and motionless the whole time. The guards would not allow her to get too close to him. When she felt that she was close enough, she spoke.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis? Is that you?"  
  
He chuckled slightly. "You mean you can't tell? Amelia, I thought you knew me better than that."  
  
Her face lit up. "Mr. Zelgadis!" She would've hugged him into suffocation if the guards had not been in the way. "Stand aside! Let him in!"  
  
"But Princess...he seems a little...suspicious. Can we trust him?"  
  
Amelia put her hands on her hips. "Are you guys new or something? Zelgadis has stayed here before. He helped save my father. He should be reguarded as a hero here!"  
  
The guards glanced around at one another. She was right, most of them had only been around for about a year. They still seemed hesitant about letting Zelgadis in. Amelia was about to explode, but she calmed down when she heard the voice of her father.  
  
"What seems to be the commotion? Why...if it isn't Zelgadis! Welcome friend! Always good to see you! You've been gone for quite some time haven't you? Hahaha!" The guards looked astonished. While they were getting over they're shock, Amelia shoved them out of the way.  
  
"Come in, Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia grabbed at his arm and pulled him inside. Zel seemed a little surprised by this, but he followed her and Phil inward. They found a room and each sat down.  
  
"So, Zelgadis, what brings you here? Finally decided to drop in for a visit?" asked Phil.  
  
"Actually, I was here to apply for the bodyguard job."  
  
"You heard about that?"  
  
"Well...a lot of my travels went through barren wastelands, so there wasn't exactly a lot of opportunity to make money. I started running short of supplies and money so I decided to come back to the areas that were inside of the barrier. While passing through a town near here yesterday, I overheard talk about a bodyguard for the princess of Seyruun. I figured I'd come and find out what was going on, and earn a little money at the same time."  
  
Amelia began to swell up inside a little. She knew Zelgadis, and this sounded a lot like he was trying to say he was worried about her. It made her feel good. Her father continued the conversation.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure who the villain is, but an assassin is about and he seems set on killing Amelia." Zel's eyes widened slightly. "He's tried twice already. The first time he attacked her while she slept, but luckily she woke up in time. We had alredy hired one bodyguard, but he was killed shortly after his presentation. We're constantly on the lookout for him, but we have no idea what he looks like, so we can only wait."  
  
Zelgadis clenched his fist that was under his cape. He had been worried when he learned that Amelia needed a body guard, but it wasn't just some silly matter that he had thought it to be. Someone had tried to hurt...no...kill Amelia. If he knew where the assassin was right now, it would be a gruesome fate that would befall him. Zel tried to keep his cool.  
  
"I see...Amelia..he..he didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
"Oh no, Mr. Zelgadis. Just scared the life out of me a couple of times!" She managed a nervous giggle. Zel looked up at Phil.  
  
"Prince Phileonel, I'll be Amelia's bodyguard."  
  
Phil let out a huge laugh. "Why that's perfect! I know I can trust you with her, Zelgadis! You're no fraud!"  
  
"Fraud?" Zel seemed confused. Amelia clarified for him.  
  
"Let's just say, the council was more concerned with my body guard's etiquette instead of his ability to protect me." Her eyes lowered. "Still...I wish he hadn't died. Why did he have to be so foolish? He should've known better..."  
  
Phil broke the sad moment. "Well, I actually feel safer with you around than the guards or any other mercenary in the kingdom! I'm sure you can stop this villain that keeps bothering my daughter!"  
  
"So I've got the job?"  
  
"Certainly! And I'll even pay you more than the original payment!"  
  
Zel seemed indifferent about this offer. "Thank you," he said anyway.  
  
"Would you like a formal presentation?" asked Phil.  
  
"No! No. Thanks, but I'll pass."  
  
"Very well. I'll make sure that all of the guards and the council know that you are now Amelia's bodyguard." Phil rushed off to spread the news. Now came an awkward moment. As glad as they were to see each other after so long, they seemed to be at a loss for words. Amelia managed to break the silence.  
  
"How have your travels been?"  
  
"Unfruitful..."  
  
"Oh...have you been out there searching this whole time?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"...you could've dropped by for a visit."  
  
This hurt Zel a little, because she was right. "I...I know....sorry."  
  
"Well, I guess it's ok! You're here now, afterall," she said with a smile. Zel smiled back at her, but she could hardly tell because of his mask. This bothered her. She had to do something about it. "Are you going to keep that mask on all day?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Come on. Let me look at you." She walked over to Zel and pulled his mask down. Then she slid his hood off. They're eyes met. She smiled, "There. Much better." She went back to her chair and sat. "So, are you sure you want to be my body guard? You know that may mean that you have to stay here for a while," she said jokingly.  
  
"Well, I think I'll survive. I probably need a break from travelling anyway," replied Zel.  
  
"Yeah, let's just hope that I survive," Amelia said jokingly, but then realized what she said, and began to become afraid. Her face sunk and she looked down at the floor. Zel could tell she was scared. He stood and walked over next to her chair.  
  
"Amelia, I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise." She looked up at him. He cracked a slight smile, "It's not like I haven't protected you before." She smiled back. She let out a small sigh and stood up. She turned towards Zel.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She walked up to him and put her arms around him. A little shocked, Zel stood there confused. Amelia closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest as she hugged him.  
  
"I'm really happy to see you again," she said with a smile.  
  
Zel looked down at her and slowly put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm... glad to see you too," he managed to say. Amelia felt so secure for that moment, resting against his strong chest. She slowly pulled away from him. In order to prevent another awkward moment, she quickly spoke up.  
  
"Well, we can't just wait in here all day. Come on!" She grabbed his arm again and began pulling him along.  
  
"Ummm, Amelia. Just one thing."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You don't have to call me Mr. Zelgadis."  
  
She smiled at him. "Ok, Zelgadis!"  
  
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Ok, there's chapter 3 for ya. Sorry again for taking too long, but I've been kind of busy. I decided it would be better for me to shorten the chapters so I can update more often. This chapter was actually supposed to be quite a bit longer, but I think most people will prefer that I update quicker. I'm sort of disappointed with this chapter. I don't think it came out too well. I'm sorry if you don't like it. I'm a little behind on my sleep. I know that's not an excuse. I'm really sorry if this chapter sucked. I'll try and do better. Well then, I believe it's time for a PSA. Adopt a llama and help save the world. My my, wasn't that dandy? Ok, time for sleep. Don't break anything in the near future and may everyone enjoy their sleep as I am about to. I believe I'm starting to ramble. Cutting...off...author...commentary...... 


	4. Chapter 4

Sweet, merciful crap.....I am sorry guys. I am way behind on this story. You didn't think I was going to update again, did ya? I made a promise and I intend to keep it. Thank God somebody reviewed this story again and reminded me. Yeah...college is great, but it keeps you busy. Thanks to Alea Seikou for your review. You are absolutely right about the reuinion. It was rushed a bit, and therefore not as good as it could have been. I apologize and will try to do better. Oh, by the way, Hoseki, sorry but I will NEVER use -san or -chan or -kun or anything like that. Ok, I MIGHT sometime, but not now. I'm from America, and I'm writing this story in English. Now then, let's get going. (quickly skims over chapter 3 to remember what the heck just happened) OK!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Difficult Situations  
  
Amelia let herself get carried away as she pulled Zelgadis along by the arm. Having him as her new body guard is probably that best thing that could have happened to her. However, the sudden stop she had before she reached the front door was not the best thing. Amelia's legs flew forward and she would have fallen on her rump if Zelgadis had not caught her arms.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadis? Why did you stop like that?" she asked confused.  
  
"Just call me Zelgadis, Amelia."  
  
"Oh yeah, sorry." She smiled.  
  
"Anyway, I really don't think you should go outside, Amelia."  
  
"Oh come on. I'll be fine now that you're here."  
  
"Let's hope so, but this assassin probably knows what he's doing, so he will probably be waiting for you to get in a vulnerable position, and outside is probably the worst place."  
  
Amelia stood up and put her hands on her hips. "But how long do I have to wait in here? If this guy knows what he's doing, then he could wait forever. If he comes out, we can get him! I'm sure we can beat him together!"  
  
Zel stroked his forhead a little. "I'm sure we could, but it's not a matter of how strong he is. It's his tactics that we have to worry about. He knows where we are, but we have know idea where he is. All it takes is one wrong move. Afterall, you're still only human, Amelia." Zelgadis knew the seriousness of the situation. Amelia isn't even close to being defenseless, so he had to take every precaution if he was going to keep her safe.  
  
Amelia closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. "Well, what should we do then?"  
  
"Don't ask me. I'm supposed to follow YOU around."  
  
"Well...I guess we could move into the game room."  
  
"Game room?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing spectacular. It's really just a place to play a quiet game of chess."  
  
"Sounds fine to me."  
  
And so the game room became the destination. The room was large enough to allow players to make small chatter without bothering anyone else. The floor was marble tile, and there were two rows of three tables going down the room. Each table had fine crystal chess pieces all set up and ready for battle. They took a seat at one of the first tables.  
  
"Do you play well?" asked Amelia.  
  
"I haven't played for a long time, but I learned from....one of the best..." Zelgadis's countenance dimmed as his thoughts turned to his past. Amelia had to change the subject quickly.  
  
"Well, you better hope that you remember how to play, because I'll kick your butt!"  
  
Zelgadis smirked slightly, "We'll see about that."  
  
And so began the battle of the century, the clash of the titans, the duel of the dynamics, the conflict of the champions, the chess game. Amelia wasn't kidding, she was an accomplished chess player. Half-way through the game, Zelgadis found that he was the one with fewer pieces on the board, but he hadn't lost yet. Zel stared while he contemplated his next move. Amelia became less interested in the game(especially because she was winning) and took this time to think of other things. "Afterall, you're still only human, Amelia." For some reason, when Zelgadis said that, it gave her a strange feeling.  
  
"Hey, Zelgadis?"  
  
"Don't worry, I've almost got my next move."  
  
"No no, I just wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Oh, ok."  
  
"When you were talking about how I could die from one wrong move...well...what about you?"  
  
Zel looked up at her, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well...what if you get hurt, or...killed?"  
  
"It'll be a little harder to kill me, besides, it's my job now. We can't worry about that."  
  
"You said it yourself, 'Afterall, you're still only...'"  
  
"No I'm not." Zelgadis cut her off.  
  
"Yes you are! You're just...different."  
  
Zel looked up at her and raised one eyebrow, "Different? People have broken swords on me and you say that's just different? Amelia, I'm not human anymore, can't you just leave it at that!?" He didn't yell, but his voice was more forceful. Amelia recoiled at his words. Needless to say, she was hurt, but she felt an even deeper pain because she thought that she hurt Zelgadis as well.  
  
"I...I'm sorry," she squeaked out.  
  
".......me too. I shouldn't have snapped at you."  
  
"I can understand why you did."  
  
"Can we please just change the subject?"  
  
"Sure. Why don't we talk about how I have you in checkmate?" Zel's eyes darted to the board. He checked over it several times, and then sank in defeat.  
  
"Ok, rematch. I had to get warmed up."  
  
"That's fine, because I was getting warmed up too," she winked at him.  
  
They played more until Amelia made them stop because she was tired of beating Zel. He tried bargaining with her for another game, but she'd had enough for now. They spent the rest of the day finding whatever activity there was around the castle. Zel told Amelia various accounts of his travels and she hung on every word. They had expensive teas and wines while talking, and later they met with Phil to have dinner. However, after that was when things got a little more difficult.  
  
"Well, it's getting late. I think I'm going to bed," said Amelia.  
  
"ok." Zel looked up suddenly, "Wait a minute..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"How exactly...is that going to work?"  
  
"Is what going to work?"  
  
"Well...you were first attacked while you were asleep, so I shouldn't just leave you in your room by yourself."  
  
"Oh...umm..."  
  
"I guess it wouldn't be too big of a deal if I just stayed in a chair in your room."  
  
"What?! No, you shouldn't have to sleep in a chair!"  
  
"Amelia, I've been sleeping on the ground for a large portion of my travels, I think I can survive sleeping in a chair."  
  
"Alright...maybe I can get some of the guards to move another bed into my room."  
  
"I don't think so, the council and your father would probably have a problem with me staying in your room at all."  
  
"Well, if you say so...I'm sorry you have to do this...WAIT!!" Amelia shrieked.  
  
"What is it?!"  
  
"We have an even worse problem!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I have to take a bath!"  
  
Zel fell over. He picked himself back up and let out a sigh, "Don't scare me like that."  
  
"What do you mean? It's a big deal!"  
  
"Is there more than one entrance to the bath?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then I can just stand outside and guard the entrance."  
  
"But...the assassin can teleport..."  
  
"Oh brother..." Zel put a hand on his forehead and tried to think. Amelia had a solution to the problem, but she was hesitant about it. She didn't really mind too much, afterall, Zel wouldn't look. Would he? No, not Zelgadis.  
  
"Well...um..you could...come in and stay behind the dressing screen while I'm in the bath," she blushed a little and couldn't manage to face him as she said it. Zel whipped around towards her.  
  
"Are you kidding?! That's crazy!"  
  
"You won't look, will you?"  
  
"Well, no...but..."  
  
"Then it should be fine."  
  
"Are you absolutely sure about this?"  
  
She looked him in the eye, "As long as you're absolutely sure that you won't look."  
  
"Alright, let's get this over with."  
  
They moved casually through the castle, and then made a mad dash when they got near the bath. They had to get in before anyone saw Zelgadis go in with Amelia. After making it inside, they both leaned over and wiped a nervous drop of sweat from their forheads.  
  
"Alright, behind the screen," said Amelia as she pointed to a screen covered corner. Zel moved into the corner without hesitation. He didn't like this more than anyone else did. He wasn't some pervert. He at least had that much dignity. He stood behind the screen and faced the corner.  
  
"Amelia, be sure to make some kind of noise if you see or hear anything strange," said Zelgadis.  
  
"What if I can't scream?"  
  
"Well...I'll probably be able to hear a lot of splashing if there's a struggle going on."  
  
"Ok." Amelia undid her cape and laid it over a chair. She reached at the bottom of her shirt and then glanced over at the screen. "You're not looking, are you?"  
  
"No, Amelia. Even if I were facing the screen, I couldn't see through it," Zel said dryly. He had to admit, as much as he was trying to respect Amelia's privacy, he wanted to look at her. But he didn't even take a peek. She was more than a peice of meat to him. "Why am I thinking like this?" Zel thought to himself. "It's not like any of it matters. I'll kill the assassin, make sure that she's not in danger anymore, then I'll have to leave. I can't be here like this....I can't...be with her...like this. Dammit! Why am I even thinking about that?! I'm so stupid sometimes!"  
  
By this time, Amelia was already in her bath. She relaxed and let the warm water sooth her nerves. She tried to not think about the assassin or the fact that Zelgadis was in the room. Still, she worried about him. Why did he have to get so upset earlier? Why can't he just admit that he's still a person? She knew she was making a mistake, but she had to talk to him about it.  
  
"Zelgadis?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you...do you hate yourself?"  
  
Zel was a bit confused, and frustrated at the same time. "What kind of a question is that?"  
  
"An honest one."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Stop worrying about me."  
  
"I want to know."  
  
"Why?" his tone getting slightly hotile.  
  
"Because it's important to me! Just tell me!"  
  
"Yes, I do." he said with no emotion.  
  
Amelia sank back into the water. She knew he was going to say that, but she was still hopeful that he would say otherwise.  
  
"Why,"  
  
"Let's not talk about it anymore," he cut her off.  
  
She stopped...for now. She finished her bath in as much silence as possible. Why did this have to be so hard? She wished she could heal his body for him. Could the greatest white mage in the world do that? She stepped out of the water and grabbed a towel. She dried herself and her hair hung low along her cheeks. She dressed herself and slowly turned towards the screen. She moved towards it, and then around it.  
  
"I'm dressed, you can turn around."  
  
He slowly stood up and turned towards her. "Ok, let's go." He started to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm. She turned him towards her and looked him dead in the eyes.  
  
"I know you don't want to talk about how you feel about yourself, and you probably don't want me to twll you anything different from your opinion. But I'm going to tell you this, so you better listen. I see you as a normal person, no, I see you as more than that. You're one of my best friends, and even if your skin was the same as anyone else's, that wouldn't make you any more special to me. Don't get me wrong, I want you to find your cure since it's so important to YOU, but I like you for who you are. And I don't like to hear ANYONE say that they hate you." Her voice and position were stern. Her gaze didn't move from his eyes. Zel seemed a little shocked by this, but he tried not to think about it too much.  
  
"...we should go," he said, and they did.  
  
Later, Amelia had just crawled into her bed. Zel sat in a chair on the other side of the room with his head hanging towards his chest. Amelia was still thinking about what she said before. Was that another mistake? No. It didn't feel like it this time. Maybe she was a bit too firm, but he needed that wake-up call. And as she continued to reassure herself, she drifted into the best sleep she'd had since this whole mess began.  
  
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Huzzah! I finished another chapter! Once again, I'm sorry for taking so long. I've been working on a lot of stuff, and I'm going to try and finish(or at least make a lot of progress on) all of them this week. If my readers don't read this chapter, I'll understand. You've probably forgotten all about this stuff. Oh well. That's what I get. Peace out. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Contemplations in the Dark  
  
About twenty silent minutes had passed in the princess's room. Zelgadis slowly opened one eye and looked over towards Amelia's figure.  
  
The moon was not out, so all he could do was guess that he was looking at Amelia until his eyes adjusted. Yes, those eyes. They were part demon just like the rest of him. Soon enough, he'd be able to see in the dark.  
  
Amelia thought that he had fallen asleep, but he had no plans for sleeping tonight, at least not for very long. She was not safe just because he was in the room. Expert assassins are willing to give up their own life if they can complete their mission in the process. However, Zelgadis probably could not sleep right now even if he wanted to.  
  
"Why does she have to keep prying into my mind? I don't need her comfort or her kind words," he thought to himself. "I'm not the weak kid that I used to be....yeah....that weak kid is what made me what I am now." He hated himself for that. He wanted to be stronger and he took the easy way out by jumping at his grandfather's offer of power. But what power did he have? He could not even heal himself of his own plague. Now he was just a monster, no matter what Amelia said.  
  
Sure, she may accept him, but not the rest of the world. He was a freak of nature, and he made himself that way.  
  
He hated what he had become mentally as well as his physical body. He knew that he was bitter and angry. "I've always been so cold to my closest friends. I can't help it. I've just become too obsessed with this curse." He also hated when he rationalized his behavior like that. Most of all, he despised how he realized his actions but never did anything to change them. "I can't be happy like this...not like this." Amelia's words were meant to comfort him, but they only fueled his rage. "I didn't deserve to hear her say that. She doesn't understand...everyone's always loved her. She doesn't know what it's like to have everyone hate you. Can't she just leave the entire subject alone? It always gets me thinking like this when someone brings it up. I'd be better off if no one mentioned it." Zel thought back to the time when he was dining with Lina, Gourry, and Amelia, and he told them that he was going to find the Claire Bible on his own in order to cure his body. Of course, they were not about to let him search by himself, and it was not long before Amelia interjected with a comment about how there was nothing wrong with him.  
  
"But Mr. Zelgadis, you look so cool!"  
  
He didn't sleep well that night either.  
  
Amelia...  
  
His eyes had adjusted to the darkness by now. He could make out fine details of the room. He saw Amelia curled up in her bed. She had her blanket pulled all the way over her shoulders and she was lying on her side. He could see her face. She seemed so peaceful. It made him happy to see that she was resting so well. And she was beautiful. No, not beautiful. That would be the word if there were a word for her. Beautiful was what came to his mind, but it didn't seem like enough. She was more than beautiful. Her soul shined through her, and something glorious seemed to rain about her. He could have looked at her face all night and that would have been enough. He would never think about such things while she was awake. He sometimes thought of her when he was alone, but he knew that he would only have his thoughts. He couldn't approach her like this. No one would stand for it, especially him. Still, he wished he knew what she thought about him. Was he more than a friend to her? Amelia rolled over and began to stir slightly. She mumbled quietly in her sleep.  
  
"mmm...don't be silly, Zelgadis..."  
  
He grinned slightly at this. He was indeed being silly. He didn't need to worry about these things right now. She was his friend, and she always would be. She may not have been able to convince him of his humanity, but she could cheer him up by just being her. Perhaps things will be better tomorrow. She won't bring up the subject any more and neither will he. But how long would he stay? He knew he could be here for quite a while, but he couldn't leave if he wasn't sure that Amelia was safe. The sort of trap that one wants to be in. Or at least, half-way wants to be in. For now, he just had to be sure to stay awake.  
  
Zelgadis passed the night in silence, merely having his thoughts to keep his attention. Amelia never woke during the night, and she slept soundly. It wasn't until Zelgadis noticed something out of the corner of his eye that the monotony was broken. He had purposely left the curtains pulled so he could see out of the window, and his demonic eyes could defintely make out some form on a wall outside of Amelia's room. The wall that the figure stood on was about 40 feet away from the window, but Zel could see him easily. He was making sure that the area was clear around him so he could make his next move. He often looked towards the window to Amelia's room, as if expecting a trap of some sort. Well, no trap would wait for him. Zelgadis stood up and pulled his hood and mask up. He opened the window and stepped onto the balcony. The shadowy figure became motionless, and was totally fixated on Zelgadis. Zel stared directly at him, daring him to try something. The figure slowly crouched down, unsure if Zel was aware of his presence. Suddenly, he gave a swift motion in Zel's direction, and Zel heard a whisking noise in the air. And then a light clang. A dagger deflected off of Zel's chest and fell to the ground below him. He never flinched. The figure looked up in shock, with full knowledge that Zelgadis knew of his presence. Zel slowly raised his right hand out of his cape. He held his hand slightly out to his side and turned his palm up. A spell formed in it and he raised the other hand to slowly wave a sarcastic, parting farewell to the intruder. The figure raised his fist in anger and quickly disappeared. Zel released the spell and returned his hands to his sides. He silently walked back into the room and closed the window.  
  
"So this is the assassin," he thought to himself as he took his seat again. The fact that he could teleport gave him the impression that the assassin was a mazoku, but if that were true then he would have used magic instead of a dagger. Well, regaurdless of what he was, Zel protected Amelia. Perhaps he could get at least a little sleep now. He saw her face again. She was still dreaming away as if nothing happened. It was best that way. He wouldn't mention anything of what happened. She deserved a break from this nightmare, so he just grinned at the fact that she was still sleeping soundly.  
  
"Good night, Amelia. Good night..." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Everybody Have Fun Tonight  
  
"mmm....mmmmm..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Yaaawn..."  
  
"Are you finally awake?"  
  
"What?" Zelgadis slowly opened his eyes to see Amelia in a chair on the other side of the room. She was already in her usual white garments, and seemed well awake.  
  
"You sleep pretty late, Zelgadis," Amelia said with a smile.  
  
"What? What time is it?"  
  
"It's a little after eleven."  
  
"Great...some bodyguard I am," he said while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"Oh, it's ok. I've been in here the whole time. I would've waked you if I needed your help."  
  
This seemed a bit peculiar to Zel. "You've been in here the whole time you've been awake?"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
"I guess that's good that you didn't go somewhere without me, but you could've gotten me up."  
  
"Yeah, but you seemed so peaceful so I decided to let you sleep. Do you always sleep late?"  
  
"Er...not really. I just had trouble sleeping last night. I guess I'm just used to sleeping outside or at inns."  
  
"I see. Maybe you should stay in one of the guest rooms. It'd be better if you slept in a bed, and I don't think that assassin is about to try anything else."  
  
"No. I don't think that's a good idea. I'll be fine in this chair."  
  
Amelia frowned slightly, "If that's what you want," Amelia was interuppted by the roar of her own stomach. She gave an embarrased grin and looked away as she blushed.  
  
"You haven't even eaten yet?"  
  
"No,I told the guards to just hold off on our breakfast because I wanted to wait until you woke up. It would be awkward if you had to eat by yourself," she smiled charmingly.  
  
She had a point, but Zel still let out a sigh, "Amelia, you really should've just gotten me up."  
  
"We'll worry about all that later. Right now, food is more of a priority. Come on!" And with that, they left for breakfast. Or was it brunch?  
  
After a hearty meal, Prince Phil arrived at the dining room in order to greet his daughter and friend.  
  
"Well, it's about time you got up, Zelgadis. You must've slept like a...er.." Prince Phil trailed off.  
  
"...like a rock?" Zel finished.  
  
"Not necessarily!" Phil tried to cover up for his faux pas.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Zel tried not to let it bother him.  
  
A subject change was in order, "Well, what exactly do you two have planned for today?" inquired Phil.  
  
Amelia leaned her elbows on the table and placed her chin in her hands, "Hmmmmm....well, I guess we could always play chess, or maybe do some reading or something." She didn't exactly sound thrilled at the thought. "I guess going outside is one of those things we take for granted. There's not much to do when you have to stay indoors."  
  
Phil didn't like the sound of this. He knew that the whole situation was hard for Amelia, that's why he had given her a break from her normal duties. He wanted her to have something to keep her mind off of the fact that she was in danger. Still, he couldn't let her wander around outside. Not even in the gardens or the courtyards. It was simply too dangerous. However, he had a nice idea to keep them both entertained.  
  
"Well since you have to be cooped up in the palace, why don't we go ahead and have a ball this evening?" Phil let out a jolly laugh.  
  
Amelia's face brightened while Zelgadis's became doubtful. "A ball! That would be great, daddy!" Her face suddenly became concerned, "Wait a minute, tonight? That doesn't give anyone much time to get prepared."  
  
Phil laughed again, "I'm sure that the people will be more than willing to rush just to see that you're doing fine, besides, it'll give the two of you something to do all day!"  
  
"Oh daddy, you're great!" Amelia rushed toward him and hugged him tightly. Zel just sipped at his coffee. Then she turned to Zel, "Come on, Zelgadis. We have to get you a suit!" Out came the coffee.  
  
"What?! A suit?!"  
  
"Of course! It's only fitting to dress up for a ball." She was smiling ear to ear. She was enjoying this way too much, and Zel was about to have a stroke. "This'll be great! You'll look so handsome!"  
  
"Now wait just a minute! I...uh..I don't have a suit! Yeah!" Zel protested pitifully.  
  
"That's ok! We can find one for you! I'm sure that you'll look great!" her eyes were sparkling. "Come on!" Amelia started to pull Zel by his arm, but he held his ground.  
  
"Hold it! I think I can handle the monotany of the palace, so you can have fun at the ball and I'll just be there in case you need my help," said Zel.  
  
"Aww, don't be such a baby. I won't have any fun if you don't go to the ball. I'm sure you're a great dancer!"  
  
"I do NOT dance."  
  
"Then you'll have to learn how! Now come on! This'll be good for you." She was now dragging him by the arm. Zel had pretty much given up since he knew that Amelia never would. He'd just hide or something during the ball. Amelia led him through the palace until they came to a room full of fabrics, yarn, strings, sewing equipment, and rows of beautiful garments. There was a row for dresses, one for tunics, one for suits, one for casual clothes, and what looked like one for experimental clothing. The last row had various articles on it with bizarre designes and flashy colors. They may have been unique, but they were hardly anything that someone would want to wear. Various pieces of fabric laid on the floor, and the back wall was lined with closets. Amelia seemed to be looking around for something, but she wasn't really looking at the suits. "Sylvester! Are you in here?!" she called out. Suddenly, there was a loud thump from one of the closets, followed by some muffled cursing. The closet opened, and a butler stepped out while rubbing his head. He kept excellent posture at all times, and didn't really seem to open his eyes very much. After he was through rubbing his head, he approached the two and spoke.  
  
"Ah, forgive me, madame. I was searching for inspiration, so I decided to meditate in ze closet."  
  
"That's ok. Zelgadis, this is Sylvester, a butler that specializes in clothing. Sylvester, this is Zelgadis, my friend and bodyguard."  
  
"A pleasure, monsieur," he bowed. Zel was greatful that he didn't bother to open his eyes all the way. "Now, vat can I do for you, madame?"  
  
"Zelgadis needs a suit. There's going to be a ball tonight!" she said with glee.  
  
"A ball! Vonderful! Let me take a look here." Sylvester opened his eyes and saw Zelgadis. His eyes went wide with shock and he gasped like he had never breathed before. Zelgadis looked at the floor waiting for what he knew was coming. He was just about to leave until Sylvester spoke. "This is MARVELOUS!" Zel looked up quickly and raised one eyebrow in confusion. "Yes! I have ze perfect suit for you! Your blue skin vill be perfect with it! You will be c'est magnifique!" Zel couldn't believe it. Did this guy think about anything besides clothing? Sylvester turned to Amelia, "Vorry not, madame! He vill be more zan ready for tonight!"  
  
"Thanks, Sylvester," Amelia said with a smile. She faced Zel, "Well, I'll let him handle things from here. I'm off to get ready!" Zelgadis saw his chance to escape this nightmare.  
  
"Wait! What if the assassin shows up again? I should be outside your door in case you need my help," he stated quickly. He really was thinking of her safety, but keeping him uninvolved with the ball served as a nice bonus for him.  
  
"Don't worry about that. I'll have guards outside the room. Just relax and try to have fun! See you later," and with that she left.  
  
"Great...I'm sure I'll have loads of fun," Zel mumbled to himself.  
  
"Now, monsieur, if you vill accompany me," Sylvester led him towards the suits.  
  
"Sure...no problem."  
  
"Zelgadis is such a baby!" Amelia said as she searched through her dresses. She stopped her search and laid down on her bed. She was a little frustrated at Zel for trying to stay out of the ball, and she got even more angry at herself because she knew that she couldn't really blame him for not wanting to be there. She just wished he would be more cooperative. Tonight, tonight....tonight she had an opportunity that she had wanted for so long. He would be there, and whether he believed it or not, he would be the most handsome young man in the world. She would be wearing one of her best dresses, and then they would dance together. She let out a whistful sigh. If he'd cooperate, she'd dance with him the whole time, and nobody else, but she knew that wouldn't happen. "Hmph, I'll be lucky if I even get half a dance from him," she pouted. What was it about him? What drew her to him? He was one of the gloomiest people she had ever met, but he did have his reasons. Why? Why did she bear these feelings for him? She had never really questioned it, and her frustration only reassured her of her feelings because her frustration spawned from the thought of not being able to spend time with him. For some reason, she decided to examine her affection. Why did she have feelings for him? She thought long and hard in that silent room. In her mind, it was the noisiest silence imaginable. She came up with several different reasons, but she finally concluded on what she thought was the best reason. "Because I do," she said while smiling serenely. She let out a sigh of relief and contentment. Perhaps that's how love is. It just happens.   
  
However, this peaceful happiness began to ebb, and her smile drifted away. Her feelings didn't matter if Zelgadis didn't feel the same way about her, and he had given her no real reason to think that he thought of her as anything but a friend. He probably never would admit it if he did have feelings for her. His cure is his priority, plain and simple. Maybe she would have to just take a chance. If he would never speak up, then maybe she should and see what happens. She may not get another chance, but until the assassin was caught, he would stay here. The thought seemed interesting enough. Better to lose him because he didn't feel the same way than to lose him by letting him slip away and never knowing. That was better, wasn't it? Well, she would think more on that before making a decision. She hopped off of the bed and to her feet. Right now, she had to pick out a dress. It was kind of funny. This assassin may be turning out to be a good thing.  
  
"Yes! You are stunning, monsieur!" Sylvester shouted in victory. Zelgadis wouldn't even look at himself in the mirror in front of him. He was already uncomfotable enough, he could at lest imagine that he wasn't wearing a suit. "Monsieur! Do not deny yourself such satisfaction!"  
  
"I'll just take your word for it if you don't mind," he said bitterly.  
  
"Oh please! At least indulge a starving artist and let him know that his work is good!" Sylvester pleaded. Zel sighed and slowly looked up to the mirror. The suit was a lighter shade of blue than his skin. It almost made his flesh look more natural because of how well the colors fit. Zel still wanted out of it, but he decided he would at least be polite.  
  
"It looks nice. Good job," he said flatly.  
  
"Oh! Thank you, monsieur! But this is only the first part. I must hem ze suit to make it perfect, so please stand still a little longer," Sylvester grabbed his needle and prepared to finish another masterpiece. For Zel, it couldn't end soon enough. He kept trying to distract himself from the way he was dressed. After scanning the room, he found himself staring at the row of bizarre clothing.  
  
"Do you make all of these clothes?" Zel asked.  
  
"But of course!"  
  
"That row seems.....interesting."  
  
Sylvester looked up to glance at the clothes. He then let out a sigh and shook his head as he went back to work. "Indeed. Those are my...less successful creations." Zel, desparate to stop thinking about what was happening, tried to continue the conversation.  
  
"Why do you keep them?" he asked. At this, Sylvester stopped immediately and looked at Zelgadis with surprise.  
  
"Why?! They are my creations! This iz my art! I keep everything I make!" He went back to his work.  
  
"Does anyone wear them?"  
  
"I do, occaisionally." Zel found this amusing because someone wearing those clothes might attract more attention than him. Sylvester continued, "They are not popular, but excellence does not guarantee acceptance."  
  
"What do you mean?" Zel asked, confused.  
  
"I mean that just because something iz truly great or beautiful, does not mean that people vill embrace it. These clothes may be strange, but they are full of color, and the are unique! I may be the only person who ever wears them, but that iz enough. Clothes are meant to be worn, and these are worn. That gives them purpose, and beauty." Zel didn't really buy into what Sylvester was saying, but as long as he kept talking he served as a distraction. Sylvester looked back up at Zel. "You, monsieur, would do well to learn this."  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
"Monsieur knows exactly what I mean."  
  
"Wait, I..."  
  
"Fini!" Sylvester interrupted. He took a step back to admire his work. "Now, you will be perfect!"  
  
Zel took another look at himself in the mirror. He had to admit that it did match very well. He may as well make the best of it.  
  
"Now, we will start with your hair!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
Amelia sat patiently in front of a mirror as her maid brushed through her hair. She still hadn't decided on a dress. She couldn't think straight about what would be best. She could dress in blue to match Zelgadis, but he might be offended by that. Purple would be nice, but if she danced with him they'd look like a walking bruise. Maybe green...or pink. Without realizing it, she let out a small sigh.  
  
"Something wrong, highness?"  
  
"Eh? Oh, nothing. I guess all this preparation can get a bit tedious."  
  
"Yes, but you'll be a marvellous sight for the ball. May I ask why you haven't chosen a dress yet?"  
  
"Um, I just can't seem to decide this time. I'll figure out something."  
  
"I'm sure you will." The maid continued to brush. After a moment of silence, she ventured a question, "So, who is that new bodyguard of yours?"  
  
"That's Zelgadis....I travelled with him when I was adventuring with Lina Inverse."  
  
"Oh, so he's a hero?"  
  
"Yes, he's saved me quite a few times."  
  
"Is he...um...well..."  
  
"His grandfather made him that way."  
  
"Oh..." desparate to move to another subject, "Well, I think he's actually quite handsome."  
  
"He is, but he'll never believe it."  
  
"You've told him?"  
  
"Well, sort of. He's not exactly the easiest person to compliment. At least in that way."  
  
"I can understand why he'd think himself ugly, then. I'd think I was ugly if nobody ever told me otherwise."  
  
"But I've told him that his skin doesn't bother me, and that I like him for who he is."  
  
"That's a little different. Telling him you're ok with his complexion is nice, but telling him that you're attracted to him could make a world of difference. He may have never heard a girl say that since he changed."  
  
"Yeah...maybe you're right..."  
  
The maid finished with Amelia's hair and began to leave. "You look lovely, highness. I'll let you finish picking out a dress now."  
  
"Thanks. You did a great job." Just before the maid left, Amelia had a sudden realization, "Wait a minute! I never said I was attracted to him! I just said I that he's handsome! That's different!" she said in a slight panic.  
  
The maid snickered slightly. "If you say so, princess." She left, and Amelia felt just a little embarrassed. She looked into her mirror and saw that she was blushing profusely.  
  
Zel leaned patiently against the ballroom wall. The ball was moving into full swing, with hundreds of guests that had been all checked before even being allowed on the castle grounds. It was meant to be fun, but Phil was not about to jeopardize his daughter's life. Zel chose to play the wallflower. He was embarrassed in his suit, reguardless of how good anyone may have thought it looked on him. It just didn't feel right to him. He sipped occaisionally at a glass of wine.  
  
"Hmmm...she's pretty late." He couldn't help but worry. This whole event could be the assassin's dream-come-true. No matter how tight security may be, he wasn't going to feel ok until Amelia was under his protection.  
  
Prince Phil was busy mingling with the guests. It was obvious that he was popular among the people. As long as nobody was bothering him, he'd be fine. He looked down at his glass, shrugged, and took a large gulp, consuming the remainder of the wine. It helped him relax, so he didn't have to think that people were staring at him. Well, an empty glass does little good, so he went to refill his glass. Large tables were set up, filled with food and drink. He made his way to the table and filled the glass with whatever bottle he could get to fastest. With that done, he retreated back to his area. He only made it halfway there.  
  
"It's Princess Amelia!" He stopped dead in his tracks. He was relieved to know that she was alright. He turned to see her. Zel was as hard as a rock, but even rock has a breaking point. When he saw Amelia entering the room in her jade green dress, something snapped in him. It took him a moment to realize that his mouth was open. She wore gloves that matched her dress, they went up over her forearms, and she wore an actual jade necklace. She quickly had people drawing towards her in order to greet her. Zel was stuck in his spot. After blinking and regaining his senses, he debated on whether he should go meet her or wait for the small crowd to disperse. He opted to wait and sip at his wine.  
  
Amelia was well accustomed to mingling with the people, since she was as popular with the citizens as her father was. It never bothered her. It was good to know that the people were happy with the royal family. It was not good to see that Zelgadis was not among her greeters. She took quick glances about the room in between people. Finally, she spotted him. There he was, sulking by himself near a wall, sipping a glass of wine. He saw her, and she knew he did. "mmm! Can't he at least try to have some fun?! He could at least come say 'hello," she thought to herself. She calmed down and remembered that this must be difficult for him. Afterall, he never liked being in public, so social events probably are not his cup of tea(no pun intended). Well, if he wasn't going to come to her, she would go to him. She excused herself from the small crowd and made her way through. At least Zel had the decency to pry himself from the wall in order to meet her as she approached. They stood there for a moment and looked each other over. After getting closer and forgetting her frustration, she was able to notice just how handsome he was.  
  
"I, uh, I was wondering when you were going to get here," said Zel.  
  
"Yeah, I was running a little late, trying to get everything ready."  
  
"You look...stunning, Amelia," there was a certain softness, and sincerity to his voice.  
  
"Thanks," she looked at the floor as she blushed. "You look very handsome, too." She slowly looked up, and saw that he was blushing too. She covered her mouth and giggled.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You're blushing! It's so cute!"  
  
"What?! What are you talking about?" he tried desparately to stop blushing, but the fact that she had seen him only made him grow redder. She was now laughing out loud. "Oh, and I suppose you aren't blushing as well?"  
  
"huh?" she tried to cover her face. "Well, I..uh.." she was interrupted by the sound of the music starting. It was a moderately paced tune. Amelia decided that she might as well take her chance now. "Come on, Zelgadis. Let's dance!" she said with a smile.  
  
Zel looked towards the dance floor, filled with couples trouncing about. He looked back at Amelia, "I don't know...I'm not much of a dancer."  
  
"It'll be fun! Just give it a try."  
  
"That's ok, Amelia. I think I'll just watch. You go have fun. I'm sure that there are plenty of people here that would be happy to dance with you."  
  
"Oh, come on! Please?" she said with longful eyes.  
  
Zel gave an inward sigh, "Maybe later, we'll see."  
  
"Alright, then..." she decided that that was probably the best she was going to get from him, so she would try to enjoy herself without him for now. She was disappointed, but still hopeful. She made her way towards the dancing area. It didn't take long for a young man to approach her.  
  
"Princess Amelia, I would be honored if I may have this dance," the young man gave an elegant bow and extended his hand gracefully. She gave him a smile and took his hand.  
  
"I'd be happy to dance," and with that they made their way to the dancing area. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and he placed his on her waist, and they began to waltz.  
  
Zelgadis seemed content enough to sit quietly and watch. The room was covered with a wide array of dancers, from the ones that flowed like water, to the couples that were just learning. No matter how skilled the dancers were, everybody was having fun. Except Zelgadis. For some reason, something was bothering him. The suit? No, he was actually starting to get used to wearing it. Maybe he didn't like the music? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been listening to the music very much. It certainly wasn't the wine that bothered him. It was probably the atmosphere. Yes, the atmosphere did bother him, but that wasn't all. There was something else that irritated him even more. He decided he'd forget about it and keep watching Amelia dance. "Dancing with some pretty-boy that she probably doesn't even know...and he probably only wants to dance with her because she's royalty," he thought to himself. He was suddenly taken back by this thought. "Where did that come from?" He shrugged it off and took another sip of wine. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself out there. How could she not? She was the princess that everyone loved. Almost unconsciously, Zelgadis became more and more uncomfortable as he watched the two dance. "Just who is this guy? Sweeping my Amelia across the floor like he's every woman's dream..... ...what the hell?! Did I just think....MY Amelia?!" he blushed again. "Something's wrong with me..." he thought as he downed the rest of his drink in a gulp. "Am I...am I jealous?!" he thought surprisingly. "That's stupid." He decided to stop watching in order to take his mind off her. He set his glass down on a table and moved along the wall to a window. It was a fairly clear evening. Only a few clouds in the sky, and the stars were easily seen. He couldn't find the moon, however.  
  
He knew that the assassin was out there watching. Possibly looking right at Zel, since he would have to kill the bodyguard before he could get to the princess. Wait...no he didn't...  
  
Zelgadis whirled around and walked briskly back to the dance area with a spell ready on his lips. By the time he spotted Amelia, the dance had ended. Amelia and her partner bowed to one another, and parted. Zel let out a sigh of relief. If the man she was dancing with had been the assassin, Amelia would be dead right now. He had to watch her. Even if it bothered him, he couldn't let her out of his sight. The assassin could be in disguise as anyone here. He leaned back against a wall, and kept his gaze on Amelia. He tried to make himself look inconspicuous, but never lost track of her. She began socializing with some of the local nobility, and others from neighboring cities. A small crowd began to gather around her. "If this gets any bigger, I won't be able to see her!" Everyone was being too carefree. It was almost like they were trying to hand her to the assassin. All he would have to do is walk right by her as she was distracted by the conversation and that would be it. Zel was trying to think of a way to get her out of there. Suddenly the music started again. It was a slow and sweet melody. Zelgadis took a deep breath and sighed heavily.   
  
"Well, here goes..." He moved over to where Amelia was talking.  
  
He positioned himself to the side of Amelia and tried to approach her without attracting too much attention to himself, although he knew that was impossible. "Amelia," he said, and she turned toward him, "would you like to dance?" The first thing Zel noticed was the awkward looks on the faces of every other person in that conversation. Some turned there noses up at him, and others seemed shocked that he would ask such a question. Zel felt himself starting to sweat, but when he saw Amelia's face, everything felt better. Her eyes were beaming, he cheeks were a little red, and her smile was perfect. It wasn't a large smile, it was almost as if she were so happy that her muscles weren't strong enough to smile any more.  
  
"I'd love too, Zelgadis," she replied. Zelgadis forgot about the stares directed at him, and even smiled a little. He gently extended his open hand, and she placed hers in it. They moved to an area where they had more room, but Zel tried to go to a spot that he thought would attract the least attention. The two looked at each other, a little embarrassed, and Amelia took Zel's other hand and placed it on her waist. She put her other hand on his shoulder, and they stood there like that for just a moment. Amelia realized they were standing still and she spoke up, "Um, you're, uh...supposed to lead."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not used to this."  
  
"Neither am I," Amelia thought out loud.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing! I'm sure you'll do fine." They began to sway gently. Amelia could hardly believe what was happening. She had already seen in her mind what was going to happen this evening. A little later she was going to ask Zelgadis to dance again, and he would come up with some other excuse, and then she would try more but each time he'd somehow refuse. She was sure that would happen, but she never believed that this would happen. He actually approached her. She wasn't even really thinking about dancing. She was just immersed in nearness of him. His hand gently wrapped around hers, she thought of every part of their bodies that were in contact with one another. As far as she was concerned, this was the only thing happening in the world right now. She was dancing with Zelgadis, and he asked her. She was so content that she didn't realize that she had been staring at his chest. She looked up towards his face. She was still blushing a little, but she didn't care. As her eyes met his....she found that he was looking away. He wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were moving slowly around the room, like he was scanning the area. She felt the magic of the moment drop a little. Was he too embarrassed to enjoy this? "Zelgadis, what are you looking at?"  
  
"I've...got a bad feeling. I'm keeping my guard up just in case the assassin tries something." Amelia frowned a little. She was glad that Zelgadis was thinking of her, but she wanted this to be more than just protection. She wanted this to be a dance between them, a moment they can share together. She moved closer to him, wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and layed her head against his chest.  
  
"Relax, we're supposed to have fun tonight," she said softly. Zelgadis's eyes were as wide as saucers. He wasn't sure how to react to this. He knew people were staring now if they weren't before, but he didn't care as much. His heart was pounding, but he noticed that hers was as well. That comforted him. She was nervous as well. Perhaps she did have feelings for him! With that, he let the gentle beat of her heart sooth his mind, and he moved his arm around her waist to hold her better. Amelia, without even thinking, spread her fingers and interlaced them with Zelgadis's. For the first time that evening, Zelgadis was at ease. There were people staring, but he didn't see them. For the first time in years, he felt human. And although the assassin was still out there, there was no way that he would allow any harm to come to her.  
  
They gently glided along the dance floor in their own world until the music ended, and then they stood there like that for a moment. Amelia had her eyes closed as she rested against him. After a while, they parted, but kept hold of each other's hand. They looked at one another, a bit embarrassed and unsure of what to do. Amelia smiled at Zel, and he returned one.  
  
The rest of the ball was a blur. Zelgadis remained close to Amelia until the end, and nobody made any innappropriate comments about Zel. After the ball had ended and everyone had left, Amelia and Zelgadis returned to Amelia's room. She had already changed and was just curling up into bed. Zel sat in his chair, glad to be out of that suit and back into his traveling outfit. After Amelia had gotten comfortably under her covers, she sat up and looked over at Zelgadis.  
  
"Zelgadis, I'm sorry you had to get all dressed up. I know you didn't like it, but...I...I really had a lot of fun tonight," she looked down as she blushed.  
  
Zelgadis laughed very softly. "Don't worry about it, Amelia." She looked back up at him. "I had fun too," he said with a smile. 


End file.
